UK – At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (“COP26”), which was held in Glasgow, UK, between 31 October and 13 November, fifteen countries signed a Global Memorandum of Understanding for Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, which set a target for all new truck and bus sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2040. Signatories include the governments of Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Wales.¹ 

The fifteen countries have set an interim goal of 30% of all new medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030. The MoU, co-written by CALSTART² and the government of the Netherlands, also stipulates that its participants should meet annually to discuss the progress made towards the decarbonisation of the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle segments. The MoU was reportedly inspired by similar initiatives such as California’s Advanced Clean Truck rule, which has set sales targets for zero-emission trucks in the state, and the Netherlands’ proposed implementation of zero-emission zones for freight transport in 2025.